Oamaru
Oamaru and surrounds are bearing the brunt of the storm, with widespread surface flooding and some homes flooded.

Mosgiel
There is surface flooding in Mosgiel, which is being closely monitored.

Sandbags
Mosgiel people concerned about rising water can access sandbags and sand from the Memorial Park car park beside the stadium/Mosgiel Memorial Gymnasium.
Sandbags are also available in South Dunedin at the car park behind St Clair Tennis Club, Victoria Road.
Where possible, people should bring a shovel to fill the bags, although contractors are available on-site at both locations to assist with filling and loading.

Information centres
As a precaution the council has opened information centres in South Dunedin, in The Mercy Room, Catholic Social Services, 42 Macandrew Rd, and at Mosgiel Fire Station Theatre, 3 Cargill St.

Freedom Campers
Due to the weather the Dunedin City Council recommends all freedom campers find alternative accommodation rather than staying at either of the council’s two freedom camping sites tonight.

Roads
NZ Transport Agency has issued road warnings for surface water and flooding across Otago, including SH1 from Waipahi to Waitaki Bridge.
Warnings are also in place for SH88 from Dunedin to Port Chalmers, SH 87 from Kyeburn to Outram.
SH83 from Pukeuri to Duntroon is also affected by flooding and is closed between Gray Rd And Horse Gully Rd.
In Canterbury SH 82 Waimate To Kurow is closed.
SH1 is now closed between Pukeuri to Morven

Rivers
The Kakanui, Shag and Taieri Rivers, the Silver Stream, Water of Leith and the Lindsay Creek are all rising steadily.

Flights cancelled
Flights to and from Dunedin Airport have been cancelled this afternoon.
The cancelled flights include Air New Zealand flights to and from Auckland and Christchurch.
The Jetstar flight from Dunedin to Auckland at 4.15pm has been cancelled.
Air New Zealand is advising customers booked to travel to and from Dunedin to consult the arrivals and departures information on our website here for up to date schedule information.

Sports grounds
The Dunedin City Council has closed all sports grounds for the weekend because of the weather.
The club rugby semi-finals may still go ahead at Hancock Park on Saturday depending on the weather. The decision will be made by the Otago Rugby Football Union.

Power cuts
There are reports of power cuts in Oamaru. In Dunedin power has been cut to about 100 customers in Green Island, Fairfield and Abbotsford suburbs of Dunedin after a power line came down.
Aurora Energy says it has a response crew working to fix the fault and power was expected to be restored by 5pm.

General preparedness
The Dunedin City Council is encouraging all residents and businesses across the city to make their own preparations.
Residents in low-lying areas who feel concerned should make plans to self-evacuate themselves to stay with friends or family who live on higher ground should it be required later on.
Check on neighbours, particularly if they are vulnerable.
Check spoutings and drainage channels for blockages and clear them if necessary
If your basement is prone to flooding lift items that could be damaged by water off the floor. Be sure garden sprays and other chemicals won’t be affected
Check grates near your house for blockages and keep them clear of leaves and other debris to avoid water building up and affecting your property.https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/storm-hits-what-you-need-know

Dunedin City Council staff, contractors and Civil Defence personnel are responding to issues related to severe weather across the city.

Dunedin City Council Civil Defence Controller Sandy Graham says the personnel from key agencies are working together to co-ordinate the response and use resources efficiently.

Some coastal roads, for example Aramoana, were affected by some surface debris at high tides. There is currently some surface flooding in Mosgiel, which is being closely monitored.

“We have crews out in Mosgiel, as well as other parts of the city, responding to flooding-related issues. Anyone wanting to report flood-related issues with DCC services should call us on 03 477 4000 to report it. Anyone who feels their safety is in danger or who has water entering their house or business should call emergency services on 111,” Ms Graham says.

For Mosgiel people concerned about rising water and wanting to divert running water, sandbags and sand are available from the Memorial Park car park beside the stadium/Mosgiel Memorial Gymnasium.

Sandbags are also available in South Dunedin at the carpark behind St Clair Tennis Club, Victoria Road.

Where possible, people should bring a shovel to fill the bags, although contractors are available on-site at both locations to assist with filling and loading.

Information Centres
As a precaution, Dunedin City Council has opened information centres in South Dunedin and Mosgiel as places where people can go for more information and which can also potentially be used as welfare centres if the need develops. The centres are currently staffed and are located at:

Roads & Stormwater
The DCC recently completed a full cleaning programme for the city’s 8000 mudtanks. Additional checks of mud tanks in low lying and high risk areas are taking place. Road maintenance contractors continue to sweep gutters around the city. Crews will continue to work throughout today and overnight.

If you are able, you may want to prepare for the forecast heavy rain by checking the gutters and grates on your street for leaves and debris. This will help water get into the tanks and reduce the risk of surface flooding. Please remove any debris well clear, so that it cannot flow back on top of grates.

There are several road and ford closures in place as a result of flooding, mostly in rural areas. A full list of road closures and conditions is available online at www.dunedin.govt.nz/road-conditions.

The MetService has advised that rain may turn to snow near the summit of the Dunedin-Waitati highway overnight tonight (Friday), and 3 to 6cm may accumulate through to Saturday morning.

All DCC stormwater screens are clear. We are continuing to monitor the situation and crews will be checking screens to ensure they are kept clear of debris.

Sportsgrounds & Freedom Camping
DCC sportgrounds will remain closed today and Saturday. The Dunedin premier club rugby semi-finals at Hancock Park will go ahead as scheduled, provided it is safe to do so.

Due to the weather the DCC recommends all freedom campers find alternative accommodation rather than staying at either of the DCC’s two freedom camping sites tonight.

General preparedness
We encourage all residents and businesses across the city to make their own preparations. Residents in low-lying areas who feel concerned should make plans to self-evacuate themselves to stay with friends or family who live on higher ground should it be required later on. Check on neighbours, particularly if they are vulnerable.

• Check spoutings and drainage channels for blockages and clear them if necessary
• If your basement is prone to flooding lift items that could be damaged by water off the floor. Be sure garden sprays and other chemicals won’t be affected
• Check grates near your house for blockages and keep them clear of leaves and other debris to avoid water building up and affecting your property.

For the public to keep up to date with what is happening and for advice about what to do if the rain gets worse, please see the DCC website, DCC social media, listen to the radio and use other media.
Please refer family, friends and neighbours to these communication channels.

Otago Regional Council’s flood management team is at full strength ahead of the heavy rain that is forecast for coastal Otago today and tomorrow.

Rivers are still currently at normal winter levels but are expected to rise swiftly. Widespread surface flooding is also expected in all low-lying areas including South Dunedin.

Scott MacLean, ORC’s Director of Environmental Monitoring and Operations, says that people in coastal areas throughout Otago should be aware of the potential for flooding, with a combination of heavy rain and storm surges, with galeforce winds and high tides also forecast. MetService is also predicting heavy snowfalls in inland Otago tonight and into tomorrow.

ORC’s flood management team are constantly updating their models that relate rainfall to river levels and flows. They will be working closely with the Waitaki District, Dunedin City and Clutha District Councils and Emergency Management Otago throughout today, overnight and into the weekend.

Chris Hawker, Manager of Emergency Management Otago, said staff were on standby to activate whenever required. “We’re asking people to look at their own circumstances, depending on where they live,” Mr Hawker said. “If they are in low-lying areas then their access could be affected by flooding; their homes may be cut-off. People in parts of South Dunedin will be aware of the risk of surface flooding, and those along the coast need to think about the impact of high tides and wave action, and stay away from the shoreline. There’s also the possibility of power cuts if high winds bring down power poles.”

Boaties are also advised to check their moorings and monitor the marine forecast.

ENDS

The next update will be issued around 4pm unless the situation alters significantly
Media contact: Michele Poole, duty Public Information Manager, 0278398306

Excellent and we trust all preparations are of an oversight nature to ensure standard operating procedures are being adhered to and the infrastructure is in suitable condition to work as design.

Hopefully the rain event will be of maximum magnitude, that is greater than the 2015 event, and that the infrastructure will cope with the ingress of water. Should the event pass without flooding as per the 2015 event maybe then Mayor Cull can be persuaded that the flooding problem was not one of climate change but rather that of neglect as to maintaining infrastructure.

Further can South Dunedin home owners then expect acknowledgement that the value of their properties has been destroyed by yet another of many examples of poor judgement by the Mayor who seems to engage his mouth prior to considering consequences.

Fri, 21 Jul 2017ODT: Region prepares for onslaught
By Shawn McAvinue
North Otago and Central are experiencing surface flooding and some residents in Timaru are being advised to evacuate as heavy rain hammers the regions and heads further south. Local authorities raced against the clock yesterday to prepare East Otago for today’s forecast downpour, expected to be worsened by king tides and strong winds. Niwa climate scientist Nava Fedaeff said the flood risk was a “real concern” as nearly 200mm of rain forecast was for eastern parts of the province. Cont/

Dunedin
● Dunedin can expect rain from about 8am today. It would be “persistent throughout the day” and the heaviest rain was expected to fall from noon and would coincide with strong winds. Gusts of more than 100kmh were expected in Dunedin this afternoon, the strongest to be found in coastal and exposed locations.
● King tides and waves up to 6m were expected to hit the Otago coast today and tomorrow.
● Dunedin City Council chief executive Sue Bidrose said the heavy rain had the potential to cause flooding, slips and disruption to transport.

█ The Civil Defence Emergency Operations Centre were establishing information centres in South Dunedin and Mosgiel as a precaution, and could be used as welfare centres if the need arose.

As of 4pm the DCC Civil Defence operations centre had not been activated. The DCC reports that in South Dunedin there are “some patches of flooding”.
I see that Ashburton and Oamaru have received more rain than was forecast, but so far, Dunedin has received less than forecast. The DCC hasn’t had much to say about the current situation. It looks to me that the probability of serious flooding in Dunedin is small. Low-landers should sleep with one eye open tonight.

From the DCC:
Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull has declared a state of emergency for Dunedin City in response to issues arising from heavy rain in the city today.

The state of emergency has been declared because the emergency situation is beyond the resources of the emergency services alone, or otherwise requires significant co-ordination. It means extra powers are available to assist in the emergency response.

Dunedin Civil Defence Controller Sandy Graham says Civil Defence is making plans to evacuate people from some areas in Mosgiel. ~~

Due to heavy rain infiltrating into the wastewater system, manhole covers have been forced up in Surrey Street, South Dunedin, and on North Road in North East Valley. The system backs up at certain bottleneck points and overflows onto the road. ~~

The rain intensity has increased in recent hours. NewsTalk ZB says that peak rain intensity is expected around 10 pm. The earlier forecast was for the worst to be late afternoon.

The DCC has created their “Global Warming did it” excuse for South Dunedin’s neglected and inadequate stormwater system to avoid getting the blame for the 2015 flooding. I don’t think it will work this time. Also Mosgiel seems to be seriously affected again.

The DCC spin-doctors haven’t manufactured an excuse for Mosgiel’s defective stormwater system, but one DCC staffer decided to tell the truth and told us that Mosgiel’s stormwater system was built to a very low performance standard and that’s what they still have today. This is infrastructure neglect from the DCC staff and mayor and councillors. The flooding of properties in Mosgiel, South Dunedin and elsewhere, has been completely avoidable.

The result of the new Annual Plan is that the city’s water infrastructure will continue to be underfunded and decline in performance. So, no money for stormwater improvements, but shit-loads for bicycle lanes, various car-hating projects and funding of international political lobby groups like ICLEI and the Compact Of Mayors.

Yes, I hope that there is some severe political consequences for Dave Cull and his kind. He shouldn’t wait; he should resign now, for the good of the city.
As I said before: we are all watching Dave Cull and his cling-ons and we know that when they are gone there will be a big smelly mess left behind. The longer they stay, the bigger the pile.

Meant to say. As far as we know Jinty still has a key to the Civic Centre and use of a carpark. Howzat. And continues to use the Councillors’ Room. Wonder who else gets privileges. Now the ratepayers know….

When is the Community Board going to find its balls and start representing the needs of those that elected them, instead of being led by the nose by council staff. I think some of them have been there to long, all they have done is pick up the cheque, and little else.

### ODT Online Fri, 21 July 2017ODT: Otago rivers rising rapidly
By Shawn McAvinue
A regional state of emergency is in place for Otago due to widespread flooding across the region. Civil defence staff are actively responding in Waitaki, Dunedin, Clutha and Central Otago districts as rivers are rising rapidly.Evacuations are under way in Henley, within the Dunedin City boundary. There are also reports of streams overtopping in Lawrence and Ida Valley.
In South Dunedin, heavy rain has infiltrated the wastewater system. The overflows are contained on roads, but people should stay out of floodwaters in these areas and treat them as contaminated. The Dunedin City Council has opened all available bypasses to alleviate pressure on the system.
The Clutha District Council has asked motorists to stay off the road if they can, due to surface flooding throughout the district. Oamaru is experiencing widespread surface flooding in the north part of the town, and it is understood some power is out.State Highway 1 has closed between Waitati and Palmerston and also near Waimate due to flooding.
NZTA is warning people to avoid unnecessary travel on the highway from Christchurch to Oamaru. Many parts are near impassable and conditions treacherous, it said.Read more + Photos

Information Centres
As a precaution, Dunedin City Council has opened information centres in South Dunedin and Mosgiel as places where people can go for more information and which can also potentially be used as welfare centres if the need develops.

The centres are currently staffed and are located at:Mosgiel – Fire Station Theatre, 3 Cargill StSouth Dunedin – The Mercy Room, Catholic Social Services, 42 Macandrew Road

Roads & stormwater
The DCC recently completed a full cleaning programme for the city’s 8000 mudtanks.
Additional checks of mud tanks in low lying and high risk areas are taking place. Road maintenance contractors continue to sweep gutters around the city. Crews will continue to work throughout today and overnight.
If able, people should [clear] the gutters and grates on your street for leaves and debris. This will help water get into the tanks and reduce the risk of surface flooding. Please remove any debris well clear, so that it cannot flow back on top of grates.
There are several road and ford closures in place as a result of flooding, mostly in rural areas. A full list of road closures and conditions is available online at http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/road-conditions.
The MetService has advised that rain may turn to snow near the summit of the Dunedin-Waitati highway overnight tonight (Friday), and 3 to 6cm may accumulate through to Saturday morning.
All DCC stormwater screens are clear. “We are continuing to monitor the situation and crews will be checking screens to ensure they are kept clear of debris.”

### ODT Online Fri, 21 Jul 2017State of emergency issued in Dunedin and Oamaru
By Vaughan Elder
A state of emergency has been declared in Dunedin, Oamaru, and across Otago as heavy rain batters the South.
● Mayor Dave Cull said in a 7.45pm release the state of emergency had been declared because the emergency situation is beyond the resources of the emergency services alone, or otherwise required significant co-ordination. It meant extra powers were available to assist in the emergency response.
● Just after 8pm Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher has declared a state of emergency in response to worsening conditions in Oamaru and surrounding areas. There were multiple roads closed, including SH1 north of Oamaru and SH83 from Kurow to Oamaru. A full list of affected roads, included closures, are available at http://www.waitaki.govt.nz.
Sandbags and sand would soon be available at the Eden St carpark (east end) for self-service (please bring a shovel). If people were unable to get their own sandbags they can could call Civil Defence on 434 8561 for assistance.
People were asked to stay at home if possible, however, if they felt they needed to evacuate they should go immediately.
People could also come to the Oamaru Civil Defence HQ, Thames St, opposite the police station.

● The Otago Regional Council announced a state of emergency had been declared in Otago, in support of Dunedin City and Waitaki Districts.Read more